Michigan Department of Natural Resources forest health experts anticipate widespread defoliation from spruce budworms to continue across much of the Upper Peninsula in the weeks to come.Spruce budworm caterpillars, like the one shown here, feed on new growth of balsam fir and spruce trees, causing defoliation.

Robert Heyd, DNR Forest Health Management Program leader, toured the region this past week. He said the trees have shed their bud caps and spruce budworm larvae are feeding on the young spruce and fir shoots.

“Homeowners interested in protecting landscape spruce or fir from defoliation this year should spray their trees now,” Heyd said.

Products with Bt, a safe, soil-dwelling bacterium that is toxic to many insect pests, are recommended for spraying. Only one application is necessary.

“As the budworm larvae grow, they will cause increasing levels of defoliation,” Heyd said. “Clipped needles will turn brown later in June, showing this year’s affected areas.”

Targeted trees

Balsam fir is most severely damaged by budworms. During Michigan’s last outbreak, two-thirds of the balsam fir and roughly four in 10 white spruces were killed.

Budworms also feed on black spruce, tamarack, pine and hemlock trees when they are in stands with balsam fir or white spruce, but these species generally suffer less damage. Read more

Washington – A new study published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases has documented evidence of “widespread contamination of habitat” in Hawai’i caused by feral cats. This latest research has alarming implications for the endangered Hawaiian Goose (N?n?) and other animals found throughout the Hawaiian Islands.The peer-reviewed study, conducted by scientists from the United States Geological Survey, the U.S.  Department of Agriculture, the University of Tennessee, and the state’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife, evaluated the prevalence of infection with Toxoplasma gondii among N?n?, Hawai’i’s state bird. T. gondii is a protozoan parasite that causes toxoplasmosis in humans and wildlife and is the “most-commonly encountered infectious disease” in N?n?, the study reports. T. gondii relies on cats to complete its life cycle and is excreted into the environment through cat feces. A single cat may excrete hundreds of millions of infectious eggs (called “oocysts”) in its feces. Read more

The connection between healthy forests and fire may be firmly established, understood by foresters and wildlife managers, and helpful to countless wildlife species.However, not everyone outside those occupations has the same understanding.

A Michigan Department of Natural Resources firefighter conducts a controlled burn.Recall the late 1980s, when wildfires blackened much of Yellowstone National Park. Conservation professionals argued then that, long-term, the effects of the fires would be very positive for the ecosystem for a number of reasons.

The public at large wasn’t necessarily convinced. This is understandable, as for decades government officials had actively campaigned against fires. Read more

Many suburban and urban Michigan residents have had an encounter with a coyote. A glance out a window may result in a shock when locking eyes with a large, gray-brown canine standing in the backyard.

A backyard or city park is certainly no place for a coyote, right?

Coyotes can be found everywhere – forests, fields, farmlands, backyards, neighborhoods and cities.

Resourceful members of the dog family, coyotes have used human development to their advantage.

“Coyotes have learned how to survive in urban landscapes, even near people. They take advantage of abundant natural foods that can often be found in urban and suburban areas,” said Hannah Schauer, a Michigan DepartmentCoyotes have a life span of 6 to 8 years and they maintain a home range in urban settings of 2 to 5 square miles. (USFWS photo) of Natural Resources wildlife technician. “Because they are highly adaptable, coyotes have expanded their range throughout North America, and can be found in every county in Michigan.”

Urban Coyote SMART

The DNR offers a few reminders (in the form of the acronym “SMART”) for those who have seen a coyote in their neighborhood.

Safe to enjoy from a distance.
Make noise if they are too close.
Accompany pets outside.
Remove bird feeders; these attract small birds and mammals, a coyote’s natural food.
Take in the trash, pet foods and other possible attractants. Read more